Cutting the ribbon on the new London RO (from L to R): ASAC Gary Oetjen, U.S. Congressman Hal Rogers and ASAC Badaracco.

AUG
22– A ribbon cutting ceremony was held at the new
Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) London Resident Office (RO)
which is home to a DEA task force comprised of agents and officers
from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF), Internal
Revenue Service (IRS), Kentucky State Police, Rock Castle County
Sheriff’s Department, Laurel County Sheriff’s Department
and the London Police Department. Fifth District U.S. Congressman
Harold “Hal” Rogers assisted Richard A.
Badaracco, DEA Assistant Special Agent in
Charge (ASAC) of the Detroit Field Division
(DFD), and ASAC Gary W. Oetjen of the
Louisville District Office (DO) in cutting the
ribbon. U.S. Congressman Rogers continues to
be a great supporter of DEA’s mission and of all
drug law enforcement. Other attendees and
supporters included the United States Attorney’s Office for
the Eastern District of Kentucky, the United States Marshall’s
Office, Operation UNITE, the Kentucky Office for Drug Control Policy,
and the Kentucky National Guard.

From L to R: ASAC Oetjen, US Congressman Hal Rogers and GS Pilot
for the East Central Area Keith A. Johnson with DEA aircraft.

This state-of-the-art
facility will serve as a place where the DEA task force will continue
to work together in their anti-drug
mission to identify, target, disrupt, and dismantle drug organizations
which plague London and other communities. An extremely successful
task force working relationship, increased workload
and the need for more space and technology prompted DEA to transfer into
this much more accommodating building. Over the last seven years, the
DEA task force has been responsible for removing more than 60 pounds
of cocaine, 80 pounds of methamphetamine, more than 2.5 million marijuana
plants, approximately three tons of processed marijuana; arresting nearly
600 drug
traffickers and seizing more than $7.5 million in drug trafficking assets.
ASAC Gary Oetjen stated, “
DEA’s investment is this building is a symbol of a
shared commitment with our partners in law
enforcement to bring drug traffickers to justice and to make the communities
of Eastern Kentucky safer.”